


Hidden Meanings

by WhatHistoryForgets



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Female Hange Zoë, Gen, Hange/Nanaba friendship, Mike/Hange Friendship, Mike/Levi/Erwin Friendship, Multi, Overworked Hange
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 04:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3367601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatHistoryForgets/pseuds/WhatHistoryForgets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hange never thought a materialistic item could mean so much to her until she lost it. </p>
<p>**Title may change**<br/>Short chapters</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Where Is It?

"Noooo-aaaahhhhhh!! Where!? Where is it?!"

"Squad Leader please calm down! What happened? Squad Leader Hange?!"

"Alfred? Where did you put it Alfred? Give it back!" She spoke frantically to the smiling Titan.

"Squad leader you must calm down!"

"I can't believe it. I can't believe it."

"Squad leader you must be careful! What are you looking for?"

"I.. I.. it's.. uhm.. it's gone. It's.. uhm.. It's nothing. No need to worry Moblit." Hange looked around. With her hand at the back of her head she laughed a little out loud her eyes holding unshed tears. "We're going to need a new titan, Moblit. Maybe we could bag an abnormal next time, yes? Yes. Yes. I'm.. I'm going to tell Erwin." Hange rambled, taking a step closer to the door with every word she spoke.

"Squad leader..."

"I'm going to tell Erwin now." Quickly she turned and left her assistant with many questions on his tongue.

Moblit just watched her leave. He turned back to the steaming titan feeling more confused.

"Ah hem."

Moblit turned, "Oh Nifa. Were you here the whole time?" She nodded. "What happened?"

"I can't explain it. I'm not really sure myself. Squad leader Hange was starting her usual tests on Alfred when some titan blood got on her gloves. She wanted to test it so she began to take them off. She was still standing pretty close and well.. Alfred ate one of the gloves, but Squad Leader Hange still had the other one and decided to run tests on that one. It was some time later when she started screaming about 'it' being missing and that's when things became strange."

"What do you mean?"

"Well she went all out on Alfred. She started cutting into him without any of her normal, uh… care. She didn’t even dictate notes. She was looking for the other glove, but it was chewed up and shredded. I don’t know what she wanted the other glove for though. I mean it’s the same blood.”

"I think.." Moblit looked back to the remainder of Alfred's steaming body. "I think squad leader Hange needs to rest."

"I agree, Moblit. Maybe you could speak to Commander Erwin."

"Me~e?" Moblit squeaked. Nifa just nodded. "Uhhh, I - uh. Okay."


	2. Do We Even Use This Part of the Castle?

Hange sat in an empty hallway. She never went to Erwin's office. She just needed to be alone. Hange played with her hands running her fingers over one another, interlacing them, folding them, unfolding them. She felt lost. Empty even and what she did to Alfred was now catching up to her. She totally freaked out and now she'll have to wait until the next expedition to get another titan... and she lost it. Her most precious item. Hange never before though any material item would mean so much to her. But it doesn’t matter now. It’s gone. Lost in the innards of a titan.

_Sniff… Sniff... Sniffffff…_

“Here she is Nanaba. Hange?”

“Mike?” Hange briefly looked up before turning her head away. She didn’t want her friends to see her like this.

“What are you doing all alone in this hallway?” Mike looked around, “Do we even use this part of the castle?”

“Hmm..” was all Hange could manage in response.

“No seriously though. Do we?

“I don’t think so.” Answered Nanaba as she stared down the hallway. “I don’t think I’ve ever been down here.”

“It’s kind of dusty.”

“Shhh.. Mike, don’t say that so loud.” Joked Nanaba while glancing down each hall.

Mike watched Nanaba look around. “Haha, Levi won’t be back for some time.” Mike responded.

Nanaba and Mike both looked down the hall half expecting Humanity’s strongest soldier and strictest cleaner to suddenly walk by. A minute past before both started laughing softly. “He’s still in Sina, I believe.” Said Mike.

“He’s been gone awhile.” Added Hange. The other two startled, as they practically forgot she was in the hall.

“Which is probably why this hall is so dark and dusty.” Replied Nanaba. Silence followed.

“Did you guys want something?” croaked Hange after another minute.

Mike and Nanaba finally took in the state of the squad leader. Hange’s eyes were red and puffy. He face held a thin layer of sweat. Her tears left visible streaks through the mix of dirt and titan’s blood that covered her cheeks. She had her knees to her chin and her arms folding across them. Her voice was quiet and scratchy.

This was not their every day at the headquarters Hange… this was closer to the just lost a bunch of soldiers Hange, which was confusing because they hadn’t gone on expedition in a while. Albert himself was caught just beyond the walls by a small group of Hange’s scouts on a research mission… and they all made it back safely. Levi’s squad is the only group outside of the walls at the moment and they won’t know of losses until the group returns.

“Yes, of course. Commander Erwin’s looking for you.” Answered Nanaba.

“He spoke to Moblit.” Added Mike.

“Oh.” Hange said in a sad tone, “He got to him first, eh? Ha. Haha.” If she laughed to ease the tension, it didn’t work.

“Are you okay Hange?” asked Nanaba while they both looked at her with concern.

“Yeah. Fine. I just needed some space. I sort of already killed Albert. I kind of… went too far. I told Moblit we needed another titan. He probably thought I was with Erwin...” Hange stood up. “Well, I mean I told him I was going to tell Erwin. I just didn’t go there first.” And with that Hange left Mike and Nanaba just as she had left Moblit… with more questions than answers and plenty of concern to go around.


	3. You Need to Take Better Care of Yourself

_Knock Knock Knock._

“You may enter.” Said Erwin while looking out his window towards the courtyard.

“You wanted to see me, Commander?” said Hange, a bit more in control of her voice than she was when in front of Mike and Nanaba.

“Yes, Hange. Moblit came to talk to me. He and Nifa said you would need to go on another research mission in the near future. He mentioned that-.” Erwin turned around while speaking and startled at the sight, “Hange. You’re a mess.” Erwin took in her appearance. It’s not like Hange hasn’t been dirty and covered in titan’s blood while standing in his office before, but this time she looked different. There was no light in her eyes. Her face appeared slightly hollow. Now Erwin fully understood Moblit’s concern.

When Erwin began speaking again Hange’s mind drifted to a memory…

_Hange was sitting on the roof of an old barn when he found her. Her hair was a mess, one side of her goggles were cracked, and titan blood covered her boots. They had just returned from a particularly bad mission. A research mission in which a few of Hange’s squad had been killed and no titans captured, but this mission wasn’t about titans. It was about finding an herb that could be used for healing. Hange’s squad found the herb, retrieved the herb, and protected the cart carrying said herb with their lives. Levi’s squad went with them to keep an eye out and everything went well until they were making their return. Hange sent Levi and his squad ahead to make sure the path was clear. The carriage had to stay on the road and it wouldn’t be easy if there were titan’s blocking it. She didn’t consider that the titans would come from behind. They had just come from that way and no titans were spotted. The few that dared were taken out effortlessly by Levi’s squad. So Hange had no worries about sending Levi ahead which ending up costing her three lives._

_Hange didn’t move when Levi approached her. She didn’t flinch when he began wiping her face with a damp towel he brought. She didn’t pull away when he cleaned her hands. And she nearly lost all the breath in her lungs when he gently brought her wrist to his lips and kissed. It felt like ages before he pulled her wrist away, but couldn’t have been more than a few seconds. Without words he got up and left her there on the roof._

“Hange… Hange!”

Hange startled. “Oh… Uhm… Sorry Erwin.”

“You need rest. Hange.” Erwin looked her up and down one last time. “Take the rest of the week off. We’ll see about setting up another research mission after Levi and his squad return.”

“When might that be!?” She snapped. Her tone harsh and desperate.

For a brief moment Erwin’s face revealed the shock he felt from Hange’s tone, but he quickly recovered. He looked her up and down once more. For the first time in this short meeting Hange’s eyes were fierce, he posture straight, her attitude defiant. He continued to study her. As the silence raged on her fierce gaze began to turn into a severe glare. If he were anyone else he might have been intimidated, but this was Erwin Smith, 13th commander of the Scouting Legion.

“Hange, I’m not sure what went on in that lab of yours, but you will have to use whatever samples you have remaining. You WILL take the rest of the week to rest and we will discuss collecting more titans at a later date.” Erwin responded. His tone stern and his face not revealing any of the concern his has for the scientist. “You need to take better care of yourself.”

“…shitty glasses.” Hange whispered to herself. She turned and walked out of Erwin’s office without another word. She began the walk back to her room while lost in another memory.

_Her next kiss from Levi came on a stormy night. Hange had spent the last 56 hours in her lab and was struggling making it back to her bedroom. She was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open which led to plenty of bumps and bruises from walking into things. She wasn’t even on the right floor when Levi found her. She had just tripped up the stairs and had yet to get up. With only a “tch” and shake of his head Levi helped Hange off the floor and up the stairs to her bedroom. In her room he helped her out of her boots and harness then tucked her into bed. When he went to turn around Hange grabbed his arm. “Thank you Levi.” She said quietly. “You need to take better care of yourself shitty glasses.” He responded while taking her hand in his. And with those final words he kissed the back of her hand and left her once again._


	4. Two Days

Hange’s squad met in the lab. It has been two days since anyone has seen Hange. Two days since her small squad has been given any orders or direction. Two days that their worry was left to fester. Usually when ordered to rest Hange would try to sneak back in the lab a few times before finally sleeping. After a nice nap she would be in the lab again shouting out directions to her crew while sitting at her desk. That way she could tell Erwin that she didn’t do any work, but still get to watch results start piling up. So the fact that she hadn’t left her room once was nerve-wracking to her team.

“Alright you guys…” Moblit said as he walked into the lab. “Let’s-“  
“You have news?” asked Nifa  
“Is the Squad leader joining us today?” asked another member.   
Moblit looked around at his comrades. A bubble of hope building… a bubble he was about to burst. “Sorry. No. I haven’t heard anything.” The air instantly grew stale again, “But we don’t have to sit here and mope. Squad Leader Hange’s time away from the lab just gives us the opportunity to give it a good clean. Let’s get this placed organized. You all know how the squad leader like’s to make a mess of clean lab.” With each word he spoke a little bit of energy returned to the room. “Let’s get this place sparkling and then after that we can organize our latest results. Then prepare for our next batch of tests. The commander said we should be able to get a new titan after Captain Levi and his team return. So let’s prepare for that.”  
“The squad leader is going to love that!”  
“Yeah, let’s get to work!”  
Nifa walked up to Moblit, “Good thinking. The squad leader will be very happy with how you’ve handled the situation, Moblit.” With a soft smile and a pat to his shoulder Nifa walked out to get some cleaning supplies.

_Sniff. Sniff. Sniff_  
  
“Whoa, you guys are going all out. I could smell the cleanser from upstairs.” Moblit gave Mike a shy smile. “So, Moblit, what’s the deal? I’ve only seen this level of cleaning from you guys when Levi’s hovering nearby.”  
“I thought Squad Leader Hange would appreciate a clean lab” Moblit said as he continued to scrub, “…and it gives us something to do.” He added on.  
Mike took in the sad look on the assistant’s face. “She still hasn’t come down?”  
“No Sir. I try to check on her every few hours, but when I knock there is no response.” Moblit stopped scrubbing to look at the other squad leader.   
Moblit’s hesitation did not escape Mike. He nodded towards the hallway and began to step out of the lab. Moblit followed. “And?” Mike coaxed.   
“And…” Moblit inhaled deeply, “and when I tried to open the door it wouldn’t budge more than an inch, Sir. She’s barricaded herself in. As far as I know she has not left her room in the past two days. I don’t think she’s eating either. I try calling out to her, but I haven’t even heard her shift. I’m worried Sir.”  
“Have you let the commander know?”  
Moblit shifted uncomfortably in his spot, “No, Sir. I… I was planning on telling him tomorrow. I’m sorry. I should have said something more immediately.”  
“I’ll bring your concerns up to the commander today. You don’t have to explain Moblit. Hange’s gone days without food or general hygiene before. Keep doing what you’re doing. I think Hange will like a clean lab.” Mike offered the worried man a smile before walking away. The smile, however, did not last. Mike would let the commander know about Moblit’s concerns as his own continued to grow.


	5. On Her Fifth Day

It was hours before dawn on her fifth day of “rest” that Hange decided she needed to leave her room. Her stomach was growling incessantly and her body was stiff from spending the past few days curled in a tight ball on her bed. Her whole body was tingling as she stretched after being so tightly wrapped up in her blanket. She thought the lack of circulation would surely have taken a few fingers or toes as she wiggled them. Unfortunately, this act just brought back her thoughts of what was missing. She ran her hands over one another franticly. She then pushed her dresser and bookshelf away from the door. She needed fresh air and she needed it NOW.

Hange took off running. Running through the halls, running down the stairs, running right past the kitchen and out the door. Her stomach’s cries forgotten. She had made it to the stables as the light rain she did not notice turned into a down pour. Inside the stable she looked around her stomach dropping when she glanced at the empty stall where Levi’s horse should be. Her thought drifting to memory once more.

_Levi was putting his horse away after a long training session with some new squad members. Hange approached him with excitement written across her face. She had made some strides in her research and needed a new face to share the information with. Unfortunately for her Levi was in no mood to listen. He was grumpy and his frown was deeper than usual, but Hange kept speaking. Levi turned away to leave when Hange placed her hands on his shoulders and kept talking. Levi sighed heavily and put his hands on hers. “Sometimes, four-eyes, you just talk too much.” He said then placed a kiss on her right palm and walked away._

This memory made her laugh. She wondered if he would be amazed at how silent she has been for the past five days. She giggled at the bad jokes she thought he would make. She wondered if he would miss the sound of her voice. If he would try to get her to speak. Her thoughts began to turn. She wondered if he would be angry at her for losing her precious gift, for breaking her promise to him. She wondered if he would stop talking to her or if he would stop caring for her. She wondered if he was even coming back at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. I've been struggling with this story. When I started writing it I had this the idea was for something a bit funny on the lines of Hange overreacting and Levi returning to snap her out of her stupor. After rereading the few chapters I already have written it's turned into a angsty Levi might be missing story. I've gone back and forth between just continuing with what I have and starting over. For now I have decided to post another chapter of what I have had already written. But my inner struggle (and the two other stories I'm working in at the moment) has this story left on the back burner. I'm definitely not giving up on it. I'm just trying to sort out my own feelings and the direction I want this to go. I might end up writing both. Who knows.


	6. I Like it When You Do That

Lightning flashed and the thunder clap echoed throughout the stable giving Hange a moment of clarity.   
“I need to stop this.” She spoke to herself, “I’m moping around like he’s dead or something. He will comeback…” Her resolve faltered. “And whether or not he’ll still care about me is to be determined. When he returns. With his team.” Tears trickled down her cheek, but she marched forward in the storm back to the castle.

Hange stepped inside soaked to the bone and freezing.  “Well, that was stupid. I guess I should take a warm bath. Haha.” She said out loud this time laughing at herself. Grabbing a small loaf of bread and some jam Hange stalked back up to her bedroom. After practically inhaling her bread and jam she was still soaked, cold, and now sticky. Hange grabbed her robe, a towel, and some soap Levi had given her before heading to the baths.   
“It must be Sunday.” Hange thought aloud. The storm had cleared and the sun had finally began to peak over the horizon, but to her surprise she was alone in the female’s bathhouse. Sunday was the only day all the soldiers were allowed to sleep in. In lull times, like they were in now, the soldiers were given Sunday’s off as long as they completed all their duties during the week. Hange sank into one of the tubs. Hange couldn’t contain her pleased moan as her body instantly relaxed as it hit the warm water. “I should have come here earlier. This feels nice.” As she began to wash herself she let another pleasant memory take her into the past.

_After dedicating herself to her research for over a week most of her squad and the other squad leaders were begging Hange to take bath. Her hair was greasy and tangled, her clothes were grimy, and she was covered head to toe in dirt and titan blood. Surprisingly, Hange went quite willingly to her room when ~~ordered~~ asked to by Moblit. Unsurprisingly, Hange was still covered in dirt and grim while sitting at the desk in her room when checked on a few hours later. Unfortunately for Hange, Moblit, knowing his squad leader, had forcibly recruited (with the help of Mike and Commander Erwin) Captain Levi to help convince ~~force~~ Hange into the bath. Together they lifted her from her seat and shoved her into the bathroom then blocked the door leaving her unable to get out. After some whining about keeping her from her latest scientific breakthrough Hange started the water for the bath. With that sound Moblit excused himself while Levi waited to make sure she really took a bath. Nearly 10 minute later Hange called out to Levi. “Levi! Come quick.” Her voice sounding desperate. With that Levi charged into the bathroom only to find Hange with her hands to her head. “Help Levi! I’m stuck.” Desperate she was indeed. Her fingers were so tangled in her hair that every attempt to remove them tugged at her scalp. Levi couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. “Don’t laugh Levi!” Hange whined. “I need help.” Levi took the brush from the counter and a small bowl. In a single motion Levi filled the bowl then dumped it on Hange’s head. “pah.. pah. Ew. Levi, what the hell?” Again and again he filled and dumped the bowl on her until all of her hair was wet and Hange was able to remove her fingers from. Levi then sat down on a small wooden stool by the tub. Slowly Levi began working the brush through her hair being gentler then anyone has ever been with her hair. “You need to take better care of yourself, Shitty glasses.” Said Levi as he finished brushing. Hange tilted her head back while bringing one hand from the water and placing it on Levi’s cheek. They stared at each other for a while before Levi turned his head into Hange’s hand and kissed her wrist once more. Then he stood up from the stool and went to leave. “Levi…” Hange spoke. Levi stopped walking, but did not turn around. “I like it when you do that. I like it when you kiss me.” “Finish up in here.” Was all he added before leaving the room. _ __She hadn’t seen him after that. Erwin took Levi along on a mission of his own behind wall Sina._ _

"Hmph, he left me then too." She thought to herself. "But, at least he came back."

 


	7. I Remember

 

A heavy sigh left her lips as she let her mind wander down the path of the last memory.   
  
_When Levi and Erwin had returned Hange immediately went to greet them. She updated Erwin on her latest research results all while keeping her eyes on Levi taking care of his horse. When Erwin had to go check in with the others Hange stayed behind, this time not saying a word. All that could be heard were the strokes of Levi’s brush against his horse. When he finished up Hange walked out before him and went in the opposite direction of the barracks. Levi, with the choice of following Hange or heading back to his room, let curiosity get the best of him. Without a word he followed Hange nearly off the grounds of the headquarters. It wasn’t until they reached a clearing that Levi spoke up, “Oi, shitty glasses, where are you going?” Without answering Hange laid down across the soft grass. “What are you doing, four-eyes?” Nothing. “Why are you just lying there? Are you daft?” Still nothing... “Tch.” Was his final response before lying down next to her. It took over five minutes to build up the courage before her hands were on his face pulling him closer then kissing him softly on the lips. Seconds later pulling away and laying her head upon his chest she quietly spoke “Welcome home.” To which he replied “hmph.”_

_For months this went on with soft kisses and gentle caresses. Hange learned she absolutely loved any contact Levi made with her wrists. Whether he was stroking it, kissing it, or grabbing and pulling her by it. She just absolutely loved it. Through careful consideration she concluded that it was probably because it was where Levi had first kissed her and was a safe place. They were always sure to be safe. Never anything more intimate, nothing to put them at risk. Hange knew what going any further meant. So they stuck with their random kisses. Sometimes they would hold hands when alone, but Hange knew what they had was special… and if they lived in a world where titans didn’t exist there would be more to their relationship. She knew of other couples (if you could call Levi and Hange a couple) who risked it all, but Levi and Hange knew the danger of the world first hand and neither were real willing to completely let those dangers escape their minds._

_It was before his latest expedition outside of the walls that Hange and Levi found themselves laying out in that meadow once again. Silence overtook them, but one glace at her face told him she was worried. And oh was she worried! Because this is the first expedition outside of the walls that they’ve been on since the two of them have started this relationship sort of thing. And if she worried about Levi before (which she did) now she remembered why she never risked becoming so close to him earlier… because, if she was honest with herself, it has always been Levi she was pining after. Brought back from her thoughts by Levi fiddling with her fingers Hange was surprised to see Levi with an equally worried look on his face, but his eyes were focused on her hand. Bringing her hand in front of her she looked curiously at the pretty white ribbon tied securely around her middle finger. Levi lied back down and stared at the sky. It was some time before he spoke. “I don’t remember much about my birth mother. I'm sure I never knew my father. But there was this young couple, Luther and Elsa, that took care of me underground. It wasn't for long, illness took them. Most days I can barely remember them, but I do remember this tradition they had. Luther would tie ribbons around Elsa's fingers. I remember Elsa told me that as she cleaned and kept the house neat to show Luther love and respect, he tied a ribbon around her finger to show his love and his promise to always come home.” Levi sat up again to look directly at Hange. “I cannot promise that I will always come home for that is not the type of world we live in, but if you’ll allow it, I can promise that I will love you until the day I die.” Hange was left speechless, but quickly regained her composure out of fear that if she took too long to respond Levi would take back what he had just said. Hange sat up and stared directly into Levi’s eyes. “I promise I will never take it off.” She whispered. And with slight smiles on both of their faces they allowed themselves several long, passionate kisses before returning._

Hange let the tears roll down her cheeks freely. She looked again at her bare hand. With the symbol of Levi’s love for her missing she felt empty and lost. She had promise to never take it off. To continue to wear it was her declaration and claim to him. Her connection to him when he wasn’t by her side. Her white knight to fight off those dark thoughts that came whenever they were apart. The logical part of her knew she was being ridiculous. If she concluded anything over the past few days it was that she was overreacting. Hange, the scientist and researcher, knew this. But it didn’t change anything. She was distraught and the only person that could bring her back to reality was off gallivanting on the other side of wall rose with his team following secret orders from the commander. She was worried. Everyone in the castle knew that Levi and his team were gone, but not one person knew what they were doing. And that was odd. Usually the Squad leaders at least knew, but this time the commander was tight-lipped on the matter. With so much time to think depressing fantasies weaved their way into her mind. The one that stuck out most was that this could be a bad omen. What if the ribbon being eaten by a titan symbolized Levi’s death? What if he was not coming back? Levi has been gone for months and no one knows how long he’s going to be away. No one except Erwin. Hange’s resolve was back. If she couldn’t ask about Levi’s mission she would just pester Erwin about getting another titan. That was something she would do. She would demand a timeline and fight him for it. She was determined.  
  
With the water now cold, but her resolve burning Hange finished in the bath and began to make her back to her bedroom.


	8. If only the Captain were here

_Meanwhile… at Hange’s room._  
  
“Oh my…”  
“What a mess…”  
“Squad Leader?”   
Sniff Sniff. “She’s not in here.”  
Moblit’s eyes went wide, “…But the door was still barricaded when I checked before bed. Squad Leader?” He called out for her again, “Where are you?”  
Erwin took the mess in. Clothes were thrown everywhere, her comforter was on the floor and her sheets we scattered. Her dresser was pushed against her desk, which was covered in papers. Nothing dated recently though. Books were in messy piles on the floor. The ones still on the bookshelf were knocked over. Many teetering on the edge.   
“It’s not even dawn. Where could she be?” Moblit spoke franticly.   
“Calm down, Moblit.” Nanaba spoke softly to the worried man. “I’m sure she finally gave into hunger or something. It’s fine.” Nanaba began to pick up some of Hange’s clothes. Mike moved the dresser and bookshelf back into place. Taking his cue, Moblit began to pick up some of the books and place them back on the bookshelf. Cleaning calmed his nerves, but his mind still raced. “If only the captain were here.” Moblit mumbled.

Suddenly it clicked and two pairs of eyes were on his back. “WHAT?” Mike and Nanaba said simultaneously. Moblit turned and was startled by their intensity.   
“Captain Levi. If he were here he would know where to find her.” They continued to stare, “Ahh, uhm... Whenever she disappears or wanders off for a while and I can’t find her I’ll ask Captain Levi. He’ll ask a few question and then send me in a direction. He’s rarely wrong. I’m sure he would know where she was right now.” Moblit turned back to the bookshelf to escape their questioning gazes. The commander just listened.   
“He asks questions?”  
“Then gives you directions?”  
“Yeah.” Moblit kept working as he spoke, “He’ll ask like what she was doing when I last saw her, if we had any bad results, if we got any new samples. Stuff like that. Then he gives me a general area to search and she’s usually there.”  
“He’s been gone awhile.” Nanaba said repeating Hange’s words. Mike just nodded. The commander watched as the two seemed to silently communicate. The commander remember his own interaction with the scientist. Her attitude changed after mentioning Levi and his team.   
“Ah hem, Commander. When will the captain be returning?” Ask Nanaba.   
“Just in case we don’t find her, of course.”   
  
Feeling pressured for once in his life, Erwin gave in to the pleading pairs of eyes. “This information does not leave this room.” They all nodded. Erwin eyed them down once more before continuing. He took a deep breath. “To be completely honest.” He paused once more. “Levi and his team were scheduled to return about two weeks ago. There has been no word from his team since they departed nearly three months ago. However, I am hopeful that they will return. If there is no sight of them in a week I am sending another group out.”  
  
There was a long pause as the three processed that information. Levi, Humanity’s strongest soldier, and stickler for schedules, was essentially missing along with his team.  
“What were they doi-” Nanaba went to ask before being interrupted.  
  
“What is going on in here? Why are you all in my room?” Questioned Hange  
“Squad Leader!” Moblit rejoiced. “We were worried!”   
“Oh? Yeah, sorry about my behavior.” Hange placed one hand to the back of her head while the other held her bath towel in place. Her original plan and determination was out the door the minute she stumbled in to find the four of them in her room. The others took in her appearance.   
Moblit rejoiced once more, “I’m sorry for pestering you Squad Leader. It looks like you were actually taking this time to rest. I’m so glad. Our squad has a surprise for you when you’re ready to return to the lab! I should go let them know.” Moblit scurried off excited to tell the squad that their leader appears to be in better spirits.   
With Moblit out of the way Hange was able to see into her room, “Did you guys clean my room?” Hange asked to all, but was looking at Nanaba who still was holding some of Hange’s clothes.   
Nanaba laughed awkwardly, “Well… We came to get you to come out to eat or something, but it looks like you did that on your own. And then Moblit was worried because you were missing. We started picking up to look for clues.” Nanaba didn’t know why she was nervous. It wasn’t like she was lying.   
“Oh. Thanks!” and for the first time in days Hange smiled. But things grew awkward again quickly as nobody moved. “Uhm, do you think I could get dressed now?” With that everyone jumped into motion, “Oh Nanaba.”  
“Hmm..?”  
“Could you do my hair? I like it when you braid it… and it’s clean this time!”  
“Sure, we’ll see you guys later.” Nanaba said as she shut the door behind the two men.

The air was tense between the two men as they walked down the hall.   
Mike finally spoke, “You should have said something sooner. I thought they were in Sina.”  
“It’s something I thought he could handle.”  
“I volunteer. I want to go after them”  
“It would have been you I asked anyways.” Erwin turned back to the man walking behind him. “I’m still waiting a week. I know this mission was something that Levi could handle.”  
“You shouldn’t have told Moblit or Nanaba.”  
“What happened to ‘I should have said something sooner’?”  
“To me. You should have told me. Maybe not the mission, but when they did not return on time you should have told me.”  
“What were you and Nanaba thinking about back there?”  
“Huh? Oh.” Mike chuckled, “nothing gets by you, huh? Well when we found Hange in the South wing of the castle she only really reacted to us after we started talking about Levi. She noted that he’s been gone awhile.”  
“Hmm... She reacted more intensely when I mentioned she could get another titan after Levi and his team returned. She demanded to know when. I thought she was just upset that she would have to wait, but it seems there was more to it.”  
“If she’s concerned about Levi and his team... you really shouldn’t have told Moblit.”  
“I know. I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own SnK


End file.
